rear wheel weight project complete
agentorange
Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 117 Pacific Northwest Pics |
2004-03-09 79329
Due to loss of traction w/box blade engaged, I've bought into this 'wheel weight' concept. Looked at the EZ weights sytem and didn't like it. Mine is loosely based on it. Not rocket science. Consists of 1/2 steel plate, 1" (B7 grade) threaded rod at center, tapped into plate and set with split-ring lock washer and 1/2 nut at rear. The initial plate (which stays on wheel) is approx 20#. Additional plates have weights depending on shape of plate. 12x12x.5 plate is 20#, 12" diameter x .5" is 16+#.
My owners manual suggests aprox 75# per wheel. Don't think 100# would hurt. Grade 5 carraige bolts hold initial plate to wheel. 1" bolt with flat and lock hold additional plates to first plate. Initial plate plus 4 more is about 90+#. This would only require a 6" rod at first plate. Should work fine.
My pics 11, 12, 13 show the front/rear/both. Of course you could slide on any "barbell" style weight and adjust 1" rod accordingly.
I'm opting for the 1/2"plates as I could use them elswhere when not on tractor. I assume I will leave them on though, we'll see.
I have attached a link to a steel info page that gives weights and such for many items. It's an interesting page. Check it out.
-ao
Link:
Click Here
 
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rear wheel weight project complete
TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley |
2004-03-10 79412
Looks like a pretty good job. I could use some more traction for my scraper sometimes so I'm interested. When traction challenged I carry weight in the loader but I'd just as soon not stress the front drive to make up for what the rear isn't doing. I did have a thought about carriage bolts. I remember them as major occasional aggravations on cars. I've had a few beaters where prior backyard mechanics probably didn't have hex bolts and substituted carriage bolts.
The bolt threads would corrode and then I couldn't get them off easily. The carriage bolt heads tended to back rather than the nut. As soon as the bolts started getting a bit loose, the square part of bold heads would clear their sockets and then the bolts just spun around unless I could get a vice grip on the round bolt heads. Plated bolts may not have this problem but SAE bolts may not be plated--besides there's likely room for a vice grip. ....
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